1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to vehicle efficiency and defect recognition based on a vehicle's position that may be determined using the global positioning system (“GPS”).
2. Related Art
Vehicles often suffer faults due to latent defects in the vehicle such as cracked or otherwise damaged components. These defects may be manufacturing defects or may manifest over time through vehicle use. A fault may occur while the vehicle is in operation, and may cause serious injury to the vehicle operator or other persons. The fault may also cause serious damage to property and may result in a delayed delivery of goods or services if the vehicle is operating as a commercial carrier or in another commercial capacity.
Some vehicles include sensors or gauges that may be able to identify defects before a fault occurs. For example, temperature and oil pressure sensors and gauges may alert a vehicle operator that the engine is overheating or that oil pressure is low. In this case, the vehicle operator may be able to avoid a catastrophic fault by bringing the vehicle to a service center to locate and resolve the defect or issue causing the engine to overheat or the oil pressure to remain low. However, not all defects are so easily detectable. In some cases, a latent defect may remain undetectable by sensors or the vehicle operator until the defect results in a fault or complete failure of the vehicle. Thus, there is a need for a way to detect defects in a vehicle, particularly where the defect is latent and may potentially cause a catastrophic failure in the vehicle.